New Category and Other Stuffs

I started this blog post about fourteen cups of coffee ago and while this page has been blank I have: made a fort with the kids, played Wii with the kids, made lunch, prepared dinner for the road (driving to Copenhagen tonight,) played outside with the kids,  washed/folded/sorted laundry while the kids drew, and more or less watch the house be destroyed by the tornado that is ‘play time’ then cleaned it up again.  We are leaving to drive down to Copenhagen in one hour and I haven’t packed yet.  Because I won’t really be posting this weekend (except for Feminist Friday Quick Clicks which is scheduled to post as usual) I wanted to get one in today.  Only I don’t really have anything cooking or crocheting related to blog about*.  Lo and behold, new category: Book.  Because it rhymes.  But I’m not changing the title of the blog because Book, Cook, & Hook just sounds ridiculous.  Anyway I’m thinking of starting up a book club or something to go in it.  Who knows.

* Starred because I actually now do have something cooking related to discuss (and am too lazy to start a new blog post to do it in.  Check out this fantastic tip my host mom gave me for packing quesadillas (haha, I win.  nom nom) so that we can eat them on the road: put them in coffee filters.  Thats it.  Brilliant though, imo.

-Ariel

Quesadillas

I am so craving quesadilla’s right now!  My host mom and I were talking about them just last night… cheesy buttery goodness.  Mmm, but she’s on a diet so not today.  The thing I love most about quesadillas is that as long as you have tortillas and cheese, your good.  Anything else in the world can be added in for extra flavor or so that you can serve this snack food as a meal and its so easy to make!  AND they taste good cold, which is particularly important to me because I don’t like to reheat food (don’t ask.)

Quesadillas (as I like them)

This recipe usually yields 5-8 quesadillas depending on how stuffed I make them.

Ingredients:

• Tortillas (store bought or make your own!)
• Shredded cheese (theres a million different blends at the grocery store.  Choose your favorite.)
• Veggies (my favorites being one of each: red pepper, jalapeño, onion, and tomato.  Black beans are also yummy to add.)
• Lime
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves
• Shredded chicken breast (if I happen to be starting out with raw chicken I like to cube it then rub it with cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder and then fry it in vegetable oil.)
• Butter (obviously vegetable oil is a lower calorie option but butter is just so good!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook:

1. (Assuming we’re starting out with ready-made tortillas and cooked chicken) Chop all the vegetables and the cilantro and toss in a large bowl with chicken and lime juice squeazed from the lime.  Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Pre-heat a frying pan on medium-high heat (lower if  your tortillas start to burn before cheese melts) with enough butter that the tortilla won’t stick.
3. Place tortilla on pan and let warm up.  Flip when air bubbles begin to form.  Spread a layer of cheese on all the tortilla.  Top half with a layer of veggie/chicken mix.  Fold the non-topped half of the tortilla over.  Cook long enough for the cheese to melt, flipping to heat both sides.

I usually place the quesadillas on a plate and cover with foil while making the next ones so they keep warm.  Each tortilla should take no longer than 5 minutes.  Once I’m ready to serve/eat them I cut them into 3 or 4 pieces and serve with salsa/pico de gallo/ sour cream/ whatever I’m in the mood for.  Sorry I haven’t any pics to post; I’m not cooking today (host dad cooked enough over the weekend for three days of leftovers) but I am craving these…

-Ariel